Container closure device



May 22, 1962 H. E. SCHIFTER 3,035,731

CONTAINER CLOSURE DEVICE Filed May 5, 1961 INVENTOR.

HERBERT E.ScH|FTER Mm @w AT1-Y,

United States Patent Office 3,035,731 Patented May 22, 1962 3,035,731 CGNTAINER CLGSURE DEVICE Herbert E. Schifter, 1685 Meadow Lane, Bannockbnrn, Deerfield, Ill. Filed May 5, 1961, Ser. No. 103,080 2 Claims. (Cl. 21S-100) The instant invention relates to removable container closure devices. More particularly, it relates to a cover assembly mechanism for sealing containers during vacuuin lling, and which permits rapid uncovering of a container after filling for substitution of another container to be filled.

Although this invention is not limited to a device for use during surgery, it was developed to provide a hitherto unfilled .requirement in that art by providing a novel trap bottle cover assembly. A trap bottle is a bottle that is used to collect surgical debris such as escaped blood and other undesirable materials which have a tendency to accumulate during the performance of surgery. The debris and other undesirable materials are drawn from the situs of the operation with what I refer to as a suction mop, and collected in the trap bottle. When a trap bottle Vis filled, another must be substituted for it, because of the requirement to continuously remove materials during surgery.

Eachv of the prior art devices for this purpose have relied upon a glass bottle or jar with a short neck providing 'an opening. The neck of the bottle is threaded with a continuous glass bead to receive a sealing cover or cap which is threaded on the bead. In practice, when using the prior art devices, more time is lost than desirable in exchanging trap bottles, for several reasons. @ne is that in order to produce an effective seal, the cap frequently must -be tightened to a position which makes it difficult to' release the cap when the bottle is full. Another reason is that diculty is encountered in aligning the threads of the cover with the threads of the bottle to seat the cap in correct position prior to tightening.

lt will be appreciated that to preclude the requirement each time a trap bottle is changed to reconnect the mop which is connected to a tube carrying the material into the trap bottle and the suction line connected to a vacuum source, the cover has secured therein suitable ttings which are connected to such mop and such line, whereby the same cover is re-used as each bottle is filled and replaced.

In accordance with the instant invention, and as an object thereof, there is provided a cap or cover assembly which is adapted to seal and unseal successive containers by means including cam surfaces.

Itis a further object of the invention to provide a cover or closure assembly for successive containers adapted for use in the heretofore described fashion and which comprises a resilient holder on which the containers can be easily mounted and from which the containers can be easily removed, together with a cover Iwhich has a rotatable yoke carrying extension adapted to engage sloping surface on the holder whereby the cover may quickly be tightened to the container or released therefrom.

Other and further objects of the invention will become apparent from the following description and appended claims, reference being had to the accompanying drawings and numerals of reference thereon.

On the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of one embodiment of the invention showing only part of the trap bottle, a hand holding the cover in disengaged position being illustrated in dotted lines.

FIG. 2 is `a top plan View of said embodiment, the

dotted lines showing the position of the yoke for removal of the cover.

FIG. 3 is a View taken substantially on the line 3-3 of FIG. 2 and looking in the direction of the arrows.

FIG. 4 is an elevational view of -the device with parts broken away for the purpose of illustration.

FIG. 5 is a View taken substantially on the line 5-5 of FIG. 4 and looking in the direction of the arrows.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, the container 10 illustrated in the instant embodiment is what has been referred to previously as a trap bottle. The container 1% has a short neck 11 which denes an upper opening or oriiice 12, which is seen in FlG. l. The neck 11 is threaded with an integral spiral glass bead 13. Additionally, below the thread 13, the neck has a pair of annular parallel integral beads 20 and 21.

The `aforedescribed structure defines, and the bottle specifically illustrated in the drawings is conventionally used in the art as, a trap bottle.

The closure assembly for the container lil comprises a suspender or holder 14 which is shown in the form of an arcuate band. The fabrication is preferably of relatively -rigid but resilient plastic material whereby the container 10 may be snapped into and quickly pulled out of the suspender or holder. To properly support the container for one member of use, it is preferred that the band comprising the suspender or holder 14 extend about the container a distance of at least Although not considered assential to the closing mechanism itself, l provide a means for mounting the container 10 on a support such as a wall or the like, as illustrated in FIG. 2. This is achieved by means of a slotted bracket y15 which is fastened to the wall 16 by means of fasteners such as screws 17. A plate 18 is adapted -to releasably seat in the slot of the bracket 15. The plate 18 is connected to the holder 14 by means of a connector 19, said components preferably being integrally molded.

As shown in the drawings, the holder 14 defines what might be called a pair of curved arms which extend in opposite directions from the connector 19. For the purpose of this description, these arms are designated by numerals 14a and 1411.

As illustrated in FIGS. l, 3 and 4, in section, the holder or suspender 14 is triangular-like. This particular configuration is optional, however, l have found that molding of the plastic in this form provides desired resiliency, strength and rigidity in the suspender or holder 14.

Having reference to FIGS. 3 and 4, it is seen that the inner surface of the holder is formed to accommodate the beads 20 and 21. For such purpose, integral with and extending inwardly of the holder for disposition between the beads 2i? and -21 is an arcuate flange 22 which is adapted to seat between beads 2% and 21. This ange 22, when positioned as illustrated in said FIGS. 3 and 4, is adequate to suspend a container from the suspender or holder 14. Flange 22 is disposed at a height from the bottom 23 of the holder 14 which will cause the flange 22 to engage between the beads 2i) and 21 when the bottom 23 engages the shoulder 24 of the container 1lb. By reason of the foregoing construction, a container 10 may be rapidly aligned with and mounted on the holder 14 by engaging the bottom 23 of the holder with the shoulder 24 and either pushing the holder 14 toward the container 1G or pushing the container 10 into the resilient arms 14a and 1412 of the holder, resulting in automatic seating of ange 21 in the position shown in FIGS. 3 and 4.

A cover 25, which is preferably fabricated of the same rigid plastic material as the holder 14, is adapted to be seated over the opening 12 to completely cover the same.

The cover 25 has secured and sealed in appropriate apertures provided therefor a preferably bent metal tube or fitting 26 adapted to be connected to a hose or surgical mop (not shown) through which material is sucked into the container 1l), and a second tube or litting 27 adapted to receive on the end 2S thereof a rubber hose (not shown) from a suction pump or vacuum supply source.

A valved mechanism generally designated as 29 is mounted at the inner end of the vacuum line 27 and a buoy or bob mechanism 3d operates in connection with said valved mechanism. The construction of the valved Vmechanism 23 and the buoy 29 are only generally described for the purpose of illustrating, in this application, a functioning trap bottle in connection with which the instant invention may be employed.

The cover 25 is provided with a short downwardly extending annular flange 31 which, when mounted on the container 1l), encircles and extends about neck 11, as illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 4. The iiauge 311 has a recess 32 which is communicatively connected with a well 33 in cover 25. The recess 32 functions to align the cover 25 for rapid mounting on the container 1S. This is achieved by guide 34 which is formed integral with holder 14. The guide 34, as the parts are assembled, moves into the recess 32 and well 33, as illustrated in FIGS. 4 and 5, causing the cover to seat in suitably centered position over the orifice 12.

On the inner face of the cover 25 there is carried an annular sealing ring 35 shown in FIGS. 3 and 4. The diameter of ring 35 is substantially the same as the diameter or" the neck 11. The sealing ring 35 is retained in its proper position inside the cover'ZS by means of preferably integral lugs 36, one of which is shown in FIG. 3. When the cover 25 is mounted with respect to the holder 14, as heretofore described, the ring 35 will seat on the rim delining the opening 12 inthe container 10.

A partially encircling flange 37, preferably fabricated from the same material as and molded with the cover 25, extends downwardly from the cover and, when mounted to close container 1l), is disposed kbetween the arms 14a and 14b-that is, between the ends of the holder 14-as illustrated in FIGS. 1, 3v and 4. It is observed that when the cap assembly is in assembled position, substantially the entire neck 11 is encircled or encompassed bythe suspender or holder 14 and the flange 37. In the embodiment of the device herein illustrated, the vacuum tube or fitting 2-7 is centrally disposed with respect to the cover 25. It provides an axis of rotation for a yoke or yoke-like member 38, which is rotatably Vmounted on the top of the cover 25, and is accordingly substantially diametrically disposed with respect to cover 25. A retainer 39, rigidly secured on the iitting 27, keeps the yoke 38 from riding upwardly on the fitting. A pair of inwardly extending legs or bosses or the like 4@ provide the bearing membersfor the yoke 38 as it rotates on the cover 25.

The opposite ends of the yoke 38 are defined by a pair ofV depending arms 41. Each arm is slotted as indicated at 42, preferably at substantially the same'height with respect to the suspender or holder 14. At substantially Ydiametrically opposed positions on the suspender or holder 14 there is rigidly secured or integral therewith a pair of normally extending shoulders 43. The shoulders 43 are adapted for positioning within the'slots 42 respectively. The shouldersV extend only for a short distance and, as illustrated in FIGS. l, 3 and 4, the shoulders slope downwardlyrin one direction of rotation of the yoke 38 and accordingly slope upwardly in the other directionof'rotation of the yoke 38. At the widest end of each shoulder there is an integral stop or boss 44 which precludes further rotation of the yoke 38 in a clockwise direction with respect to the drawings, and as illustrated to the right of FIG. 3.

The device operates in the following manner: A trap bottle, such as container 1G, is shoved into the resilient holder 14 and almost automatically, because of the radius of curvature thereof, the container becomes suspended from the holder with the liange 22 seating between beads 2li and 21. Thereafter, the cover '25 can be quickly mounted in its appropriate position by catching the guide 34 in the recess 32 which leads the lug into the well 33 to hold the parts in proper relationship. At this point of assembly, the yoke 38 is in the dotted line position illustrated in FIG. 2.

With respect of the instant drawings, because the shoulders 43 slope downwardly in clockwise direction, clockwise rotation of the yoke engages the shoulders in the slots 42 and draws the cover to tightly press the sealing ring 35 on the rim of the orilice 12 to seal the container Overtightening of the cover is precluded by engage ment of the arms 4l with the stops or bosses 44.

When the container 1l) is iilled, the yoke 38 is moved counterclockwise with respect to the illustration herein, until the shoulders 43 are disengaged from the slots, and

manually the cover is lifted o as illustrated in FIG. l,

carrying with it those components secured to the cover 25, the filled jar then being merely snapped outof the suspender or holder 14 and a new :Zar being inserted and the cover remounted in the fashion hereinbefore described for the mounting or" the cover 25.

As many changes or substitutions could be made in the above described construction and as many apparently widely diiierent embodiments of the invention within the scope of the claims could be constructed without departing from the scope and spirit thereof, it is intended that all matter contained in the accompanying specification shall be interpreted as being illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

I claim:

l. A closure for open ended containers and the like comprising a rst member disposed partially about an upper end portion of a container; a second member disposed about the remainder of the upper end portion of said container, a cover rigidly secured to one of said members; cam means carried on said first member; a yoke rotatably mounted on said second member, and cam engaging means carried on said yoke whereby on rotation of the yoke in one direction the cover is tightened against the container and upon rotation of the yoke in an opposite direction the cover is loosened from said container.

2. A supporting and closure device for open ended containers and the like comprising a bracket having a hanger portion and a container suspending portion, said container suspending portion comprising a pair of resilient arms disposed partially about an upper end portion of a container; a member disposed about the remainder of the upper end portion of the container; a cover for the open end of said container rigidly secured to said member; a yoke rotatablymounted on saidrmember, said yoke having cam engaging members; and arcam carried on each of `said arms, said cams disposed in opposite positions with respect to a container to beclosed and sloping in opposite planar directions, whereupon rotation of the yoke in one direction the cover is tightened against the container and rotation of the yoke in an opposite direction the cover is loosened from the container.

1,145,137 Conway Ju1y13,1915 

